NO, IT'S NOT A HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY SEQUEL: 42 is an exceedingly well-crafted film--yes, you can see the blueprint, but it's such a darn effective one that it works. Indeed, it's probably got our first Oscar contender of the year in Harrison Ford, who actually gets to act for the first time in a long time as Branch Rickey. There are a bunch of other fine performances from H!ITG!'s as well, most notably Alan Tudyk being cast wildly against type as the racist manager of the Phillies, and John C. McGinley as the Dodgers' radio voice.
The film's so old-fashioned that there's almost nothing objectionable in it with one glaring exception. The n-word is dropped, regularly--indeed, there's a scene where Tudyk attempts to unnerve Robinson by chanting it from the dugout while he's at bat and one in which a child shouts it at Robinson. The movie is rated PG-13 for "thematic elements, including language," but wow, that was harsh to watch.
